Data handling system

ABSTRACT

The application discloses a hospital data handling system which transmits and receives all message information normally required in hospital operations and automatically withdraws from the transmitted messages all data necessary for establishing such items as bed status data, inventory records, patient charges, etc. The system input is derived from permanent punch cards containing all necessary message and control information and disposable punch cards containing variable data, such as patient identifying cards made, for instance, when a patient is admitted. A printer and a card reader are located at each message originating location or station in the hospital to provide messages which are placed in a delay line input storage shared by a group of card readers. As the delay line data is transferred to a core storage unit shared by all the readers, a printer selector checks each message for printer addresses, and a control decoder checks for the type of operation to be performed on the message. If only output recording is required and if all addressed printers are available, the message is cleared from the delay line storage and read out from the core storage unit to the printers through individual buffer tracks on a drum in a central processor. Alternatively, if all the printers are not available, the message is retained in the delay line until the printers are available. If the control decoding indicates that data operations are to be performed on the message, the message is sent from the core storage unit to the drum in the central processor.

United States Patent lm'fllwl's "I'll ABSTRACT: The application discloses a hospital data han- A dling system which transmits and receives all message inl'or- '8"" l'l mation normally required in hospital operations and automati- [21 ppl. No 761.043 cally withdraws from the transmitted messages all data neces [22] Fi P sary for establishing such items as bed status data, inventory I palellwd l- 1971 records. patientcharges, etc. The system input is derived from (73] Assignee M dt t In rp r permanent punch cards containing all necessary message and WM i control information and disposable punch cards containing variable data, such as patient identifying cards made, for instance, when a patient is admitted. A printer and a card reader are located at each message originating location or station in DATA HANDLING SYSTEM the hospital to provide messages which are placed in a delay 13 45 l U- line input storage shared by a group of card readers. As the [52] US. Cl. 340/1725 delay data is "ansferred a core storage unit hand by 511 00613100 readers 8 Primer select checks message 501 Field at Search 340/1125, Primr and a checks F |'15|'|52. |54;235/|57,6L661 7 operation to be performed on the message. If only output recording is required and if all addressed printers are availa- [56] Reference Cited ble, the message is cleared from the delay line storage and UNITED ATES PATENTS read out from the core storage unit to the printers through ina 014 654 I2/l96l Wilser et .1 340/172 5 x divldual a drum a "967 s'one uolfiz 5 nat1vely, if all the printers are not available. the message is l3 allgfig Wiley eta] 340/1723 retalned In the delay line until the printers are available. If the Primary Examiner- Raulfe B. Zache Attorney-Mason, Kolehmainen, Rathburn and Wyss control decoding indicates that data operations are to be performed on the message, the message is sent from the core storage unit to the drum in the central processor.

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1. In a hospital data handling system for messages of different types at least one of which requires a charge to be made to a patient and in which each message includes a control data item, a plurality of stations located at different places in the hospital, each of said stations including a data tranSmitter for transmitting messages and a data receiver for receiving messages, a message storage means common to all of the stations, a first control means coupled between the stations and the message storage means for storing messages received from the data transmitter, a patient charge storage and collecting means, and a second control means coupled to the message storage means and the patient charge storage means for selectively directing data from the messages stored in the message storage means to the data receivers in the stations, said second control means including detecting means responsive to a control data item in a received message indicating that a patient charge is to be made for inhibiting transmission of the message from the message storage means to a data receiver and for retaining the message in the message storage unit for use by the patient charge storage and collecting means.
 2. In a data handling system for a hospital including nursing stations and departmental stations, a data transmitter and a data receiver at each of the stations, each of the receivers having an address and each of the transmitters transmitting a message including both the addresses of at least two data receivers and a control code, data storage means for storing a message received from a data transmitter, output selector means controlled by the transmitted addresses for selecting the corresponding data receivers to receive the message stored in the data storage means, control means coupled to the data storage means for transferring the message from the data storage means to all of the data receivers selected by the output selector means, and control code detecting means connected to the data storage means for detecting the control codes included in the message and operative to inhibit the transmission of a message to a data receiver at a nursing station that has previously been selected by the output selector means when a predetermined control code is detected.
 3. In a data handling system, a plurality of individually addressed data recorders, at least one data transmitter, a first data storage means coupled to the data transmitter for receiving and storing data received from the data transmitter, said received data including message data and the individual addresses of two or more of said data recorders, a second data storage means, first control means for transferring at least part of the data stored in the first data storage means to the second data storage means and for transferring the data stored in the second data storage means to only the two or more data recorders identified by the received addresses, and second control means connecting to the plurality of data recorders for checking the busy or idle status of the two or more data recorders identified by the received addresses and for inhibiting the transfer of data from the first data storage means to the second storage means if one of the addressed data recorders is busy.
 4. In a data handling system, a plurality of data receivers each having an identifying address, a data transmitter, a first data storage means for storing data received from the data transmitter including message data and the address of at least one of the data receivers, a second data storage means for storing data received from the first data storage means, first control means responsive to the address transferred to the second storage means for determining the busy/idle status of the data receivers identified by the transferred address, second control means controlled by the first control means for transferring the data stored in the second storage means to the addressed data receivers and for clearing the first data storage means when the addressed data receivers are idle, and third control means controlled by the first control means for inhibiting the clearing of the first data storage means when an addressed data receiver is busy and for enabling the storage of other data in the second data storage means.
 5. In a data handling system using records having plural character messages including at least one control item, a record reader for reading the record and supplying message signals in accordance with the message on the record, data storage means coupled to the record reader and controlled by the message signals to store the message from the record, a code detecting circuit for monitoring the message signals supplied by the record reader and for detecting the presence of a control item, a first additional message signal source for supplying message signals to the data storage means, and a control circuit controlled by the code detecting circuit in response to the detection of a control item for preventing the transmission of message signals from the record reader to the data storage means and for operating the additional message signal source to supply message signals to the data storage means in place of the message signals from the record reader.
 6. The data handling system set forth in claim 5 in which the record includes different control items, and in which the system includes at least a second additional message signal source for supplying message signals to the data storage means, wherein the code detecting circuit, in addition to detecting the presence of a control item, generates a signal indicative of the particular control item detected, and wherein the control circuit responds to the signal supplied by the code detecting circuit and selects the message signal source corresponding to the particular control item detected as indicated by the signal.
 7. In a data handling system for use with messages formed by data derived from a plurality of records each containing an identifying control data item, a record reader for reading a group of records to provide a message containing the data derived from the group of records read in any random order, a storage unit coupled to the record reader for storing the message, a message receiver coupled to the storage unit for receiving a message from the storage unit, a control data item detecting means supplied with the message from the record reader and operative to supply an error signal when the combination of control data items included in a message is not one of a given number of predetermined combinations, and a control circuit controlled by the control data item detecting means for preventing the transfer of a message from the storage means to the message receiver in response to the receipt of an error signal.
 8. In a data handling system using a message including at least two control data items, a message signal source supplying a message, a storage means (supplied with the message to store the message) into which the message signal source feeds the message for storage, a message receiver coupled to the storage means to receive a message from the storage means, control data item detecting means supplied with the message from the signal source, said detecting means including first means for determining the presence of at least two control data items in a message and second means for determining whether the control data items provide any one of a number of known combinations, and means controlled by the detecting means when at least two control items are not present in a message or the control data items in the message do not provide one of the known combinations for arresting transfer of the message to the message receiver.
 9. In a data handling system using a message formed of data derived from a plurality of different data records each having an identifying control data item, a record reader supplied with a group of said records to transmit a message including the data derived from the group of records in random order, a storage unit for storing the message supplied by the record reader, a data utilization Device for receiving a message from the storage unit, a control data item detecting circuit supplied with the message from the record reader and operative to determine the combination of control data items included in the message, and control means controlled by the detecting circuit and coupled to the storage unit for arranging the data derived from the records in a given order for use by the data utilization device in accordance with the detected control data items.
 10. The data handling system set forth in claim 9 in which the storage unit includes both a number of addressable storage locations and addressing means for selecting the storage locations, and the control means includes means coupled to the addressing means and controlled by the detecting means for controlling the addressing means to selected different storage locations in dependence on the detected control data item.
 11. The data handling system set forth in claim 10 in which the control means includes means for controlling the addressing means to place the message data received from the record reader in the selected storage location.
 12. The data handling system set forth in claim 11 in which the control means includes both means for storing the control data items and means controlled by the stored control data items for controlling the addressing means to select storage locations for transfer of message data to the data utilization device.
 13. The data handling system set forth in claim 10 in which the control means includes means for controlling the addressing means to remove message data from the selected storage locations. 